Sennacherib Invades Judah

 

 

 

2 Chronicles 32:1-9

 

September 14, 2023

 

Sennacherib Invades Judah

After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.  And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him.  A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?”  He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it, he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance.  And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

What can you and I learn from a leader like Hezekiah, he saw or was told of the king of Assyria invasion, and he assembled his officers and mighty men to come up with a plan to remove helpful resources to the invading army.  Next, he got the people to do the necessary work to protect Jerusalem.

But what he did next is a very important step for any leader, he gathered the people together and spoke encouragingly to them.  Let me repeat his message to them; “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.  With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”  And that should be the cry of Israel today,

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice